Radiation Business Solutions Blog

Important Deadlines for Meaningful Use Are Approaching!

Don't miss the window to apply for a Meaningful Use exception. Mandy Pewitt, our Director of Analytics and Information Technology, offers this summary to keep you on track.

"There are several deadlines approaching in the first Quarter of 2016 for Meaningful Use exceptions.

First, Eligible Providers who received a letter in 2015 stating that they will be subject to the 2% Meaningful Use penalty in 2016 for failure to attest in 2015 will have until February 29, 2016, to submit a request for reconsideration of the Meaningful Use payment adjustment. The applicable forms for either individual providers or groups is available on the CMS website.

Additionally, a law was passed at the end of 2015 which allowed for more flexibility in applying for an exception to the 3% payment adjustment in 2017. According to the CMS Final Rules released in the fall, physicians needed to satisfy meaningful use requirements for only a 90-day period of their choosing, as opposed to the entire year. Providers who apply before March 15, 2016, will be eligible for an exception under the “Patient Access and Medicare Protection Act.” This act includes specific provisions to allow for exceptions to be granted to broad categories of physicians. After March 15, 2016, providers will continue to have until July 1, 2016, to apply for the hardship exception. However, those requests for exceptions sent after March 15 will be subject to a case by case review.

Providers applying for an exception must prove a hardship in meeting the requirements under one of several categories. A list of the hardship categories and the applicable forms for providers to request an exception are available on the CMS website."